]]>Next up from the hard-working Netflix press release team is news that the service will be cranking out one more original series, this time a 1980’s horor-ish, supernatural-ish mystery series starring Winona Ryder. The series doesn’t have a name yet, so it will just be the Winona Ryder series from now on. The show doesn’t have a name yet, but it will probably be something like Fog’s Breath, or somesuch thing.

The show is the product of the Duffer brothers, who garnered notoriety for Wayward Pines.

The show will be set in 1980 Montauk, where a boy disappears with no trace. Ryder plays the boy’s mother, and David Harbour will play the town’s police chief.

]]>WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!Edward Scissorhands is definitely flawed. The ending is a predictable Saturday-matinee mob scene. The plot is loosely hung on a frame-work of stock characters and a fairy-tale premise that started with Beauty and the Beast, probably before. It’s moral could ultimately be summed up as, “be nice to those who are different,” and the middle of the movie is an episodic adventure formula of what Edward can do with his hands to impress his new suburban neighbors. So why do I love this movie so much? Let’s explore why Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite films of all times, and I don’t mean that lightly, for there are moments within that touch the sublimely heartfelt in a way no other movie can.

First and foremost, Johnny Depp and I should be friends. I think it’s pretty clear we would totally get each other. I mean, we could talk about buying islands, doing drugs with Hunter S. Thompson, what it’s like to live in France. You know, all the normal things. But, what we could really bond over is his first role in a Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. Beating out Robert Downey Jr., Tom Cruise, and even Michael Jackson, Depp was given the part because upon his first time reading the script he wept like a newborn. I feel that, Johnny. I feel that. It’s that emotion that Depp brings to the forefront in his portrayal of Edward, that elementally gentle monster who can’t help but hurt those he loves because his very nature is dangerous.

Second, Winona Ryder as Kim. What better way to ensure chemistry between your lead actors than to have them be a real-life couple. When they look in each other’s eyes, you know it’s real. You can hear them laughing in Depp’s house overlooking the Sunset strip. You can see them walking around Venice, looking for hemp cloth and big rings that will turn their skin black, the fate of their relationship written in the stars above Los Angeles. Winona’s face, framed by that horrible wig, breaks your heart, and even as the grandmother telling her grandchild how the snow began in their neighborhood, you can’t help but fall in love with her.

Third, for being a sentimental movie about love and difference, the social commentary is caustic. The American dream of owning a house, having a cheerleader for a daughter, having barbecues with your friends, watering your lawn on a Sunday afternoon, watching football games with your son—all of that means nothing to Edward. In fact, all of that is as dangerous to him as he is to it. Ambrosia salad is awful, and the suburbs will destroy anything that doesn’t fit into its nauseatingly pastel world. By the end of the movie, when Edward realizes he must return to his mountain-top castle, he begins to literally destroy the neighborhood. As mentioned earlier, the middle of the movie is an episodic chunk of what he can mundanely do with his scissors: shrubs shaped like dinosaurs, asymmetrical haircuts for pet and owner, salad chopper, etc. Throughout all that safe suburban stuff, you’re just waiting for him to really use blades. As the townsfolk begin to swarm, after they’ve decided he’s dangerous, he destroys the wallpaper, vandalizes one of his topiaries, and punctures a stranger’s tire. And in the end, our morbid curiosity is rewarded when we get to see him finally take a life. He learns, even though he wants to so badly, he can never be a part of Kim’s life, and in so realizing, he will take down as much of that life to the best of his ability.

Also, it’s the soft moments, the nuanced yet simple writing (by the gifted screenwriter Caroline Thompson) that gets at the movie’s true heart. Take for instance, the ethics quiz Edward’s surrogate father, played by Alan Arkin, gives him near the plot’s climax. When given the scenario of finding a suitcase full of money, Edward must choose what to do: A, keep it. B, use it to buy gifts for his friends and loved ones. C, give it to the poor. D, give it to the police. When Edward replies that he’d give it to his loved ones, his surrogate mother, played by the heart-warming Diane Weist, sighs and says “Oh, Edward, it does seem that that’s what you should do, but it’s not.” Edward acts from a place of pure love, that debilitating, dangerous love that exists in the wild beyond those suffocating neighborhoods where the right answer is to give the money to the police.

But ultimately, for me anyway, it’s the moments between Edward and The Inventor, played by an aging Vincent Price in his last film role, that make this movie. In scenes with virtually no dialogue, we see The Inventor use his frightening, Gothic machines to make heart-shaped cookies. We see him read humorous poetry to a half-made Edward, instructing him that it’s okay to smile when something is funny. And in the film’s greatest moment, during a Christmas flashback, the great Inventor–the father who “didn’t wake up”–attempts to give his creation and son Edward a pair of real hands. The moment is devastating, and every time I see it, just like Johnny, I weep like a newborn.

Remember when Tim Burton used to make epic fairy tales about true outsiders in fantastical circumstances? Beetlejuice? The Nightmare Before Christmas? Pee Wee’s Big Adventure? Before he started making movies based on product potential, he made movies for us, the weird and nerdy who love like everyone else but hurt just a little more. Edward Scissorhands was the best of those films, and when Edward reached his lethal hand to us, we accepted it, blood and all. Edward Scissorhands is the greatest gift Tim Burton has given to us outsiders. I hope someday he remembers we’re still here.

]]>Bad Teacheris coming out on DVD this Tuesday (October 18th). What better way to observe this momentous occasion than to run down some other Hollywood bad girls? As bad as Cameron Diaz is in Bad Teacher, she can’t compete with the real deal. Take a look at Hollywood’s 10 best bad girls.

Enter your birthday below to see an exclusive clip from Bad Teacher.

Winona Ryder

Many Hollywood bad girls get involved in garden variety pursuits like drug or alcohol abuse. But Winona Ryder did something that, in its own way, is even worse: shoplifting! When a millionaire movie star is stealing clothes just for the thrill of the crime, you know she’s stolen a seat at the Hollywood Bad Girl Hall of Fame.

Madonna

Unlike many bad girls in Hollywood, Madonna is a shrewd professional in all aspects of her career. Rather than going out of her mind, partying, stealing boyfriends, etc., she pretends to do all of those things, and more, as part of her public persona. But have you ever seen her do “Like A Virgin”? If she’s not a Hollywood bad girl, than nobody is.

Lindsay Lohan

One of the definitive Hollywood bad girls, Lindsay Lohan took the enormous promise she showed as a young child actress and squandered it on sex, drugs, and alcohol. Ain’t that always how it goes? She may be in line for a comeback, though, so don’t rule her out just yet. If her adult performance in Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home Companion is any indication, she still has talent to spare.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-lists/hollywood%e2%80%99s-top-10-best-bad-girls/feed/0winona-ryder1Madonna-Like-A-Prayerlindsay-lohan-bikiniComing of Age Movies That Make Men Cryhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/coming-of-age-movies-that-make-men-cry/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/coming-of-age-movies-that-make-men-cry/#commentsMon, 11 Jul 2011 19:58:30 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=219647Just in time to quench your oddly-specific thirst, here's a list of tried and true tearjerkers that have been known to make a man cry.

]]>Seeking out coming of age movies that make men cry can be risky business. After all, what man wants to cry during a movie, much less one about some kid learning about life or whatever? Still, sometimes you’re simply in the mood. So, just in time to quench your oddly-specific thirst, here’s a list of tried and true tearjerkers that have been known to turn men into cry babies. Not us, though. Just a guy we know.

My Life As A Dog

Ingemar in My Life As A Dog

This is a definitive coming of age drama from director Lasse Holstrom, and if it doesn’t make you cry, not much will. It really piles the misery on top of its young protagonist Ingemar, including but not limited to: a sick and dying mother, being separated from his beloved dog and an array of sexual humiliations. We won’t even blame you if you get a little misty-eyed just reading this.

OK, so Edward is an artificial being, so he doesn’t technically age. Still, the movie is about his movement from childlike innocence to bitter disappointment as he experiences the harsh world of love and loss, so it qualifies. And it’ll get you. Particularly the final scene where an elderly Winona Ryder remembers her life as a young girl with Edward and that sweet Danny Elfman score swells. Just try not to blow your nose too hard if you have scissors for hands. We had an uncle who lost a nostril that way.

This coming of age drama about kids growing up in a rough LA neighborhood could make even the hardest gangster (or Republican) shed a tear or two. It’s a classic story, featuring several kids who either try to escape the unforgiving neighborhood, or grow to coldly embrace what it takes to survive there. Plus, what is arguably Ice Cube‘s most badass performance alone is enough to bring tears to your eyes. “Domino motherf*cker!”

Yeah, it’s a cartoon. You’re looking for movies that make a man cry, what do you expect? This Disney classic has been seen by practically everyone, including more than a few guys who claim to never cry during movies —a healthy percentage of these guys almost certainly teared up when Mufasa was murdered by Scar. Or maybe that was just dust in our eyes.

This might seem like a weird choice, since The Tree of Life is a much more experimental movie than the other weepers on this list. Still, if you give it the concentration and focus it deserves, it’ll tug at those heart strings. The scenes depicting life in 1950s suburban Texas might get to you, specifically if you’re around the same age as Sean Penn’s character, whose childhood makes up the bulk of the narrative. Well, that and dinosaurs. And who among us is able to keep his composure when it comes to dinosaurs?

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/coming-of-age-movies-that-make-men-cry/feed/8my_life_as_a_dogIngemar in My Life As A Dogedward_scissorhandsJohnny Depp hugging Winona Ryder in Edward ScissorhandsCuba Gooding Jr. cryingCuba Gooding Jr. crying in Boyz In the Hoodthe-lion-kingSimba trying to wake up Mufasa in The Lion Kingsean_pean_tree_of_lifeSean Pean in the desert in Tree Of LifeJames Franco To Work With Winona Ryder, Eventually Everyone Elsehttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-franco-to-work-with-winona-ryder-eventually-everyone-else/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-franco-to-work-with-winona-ryder-eventually-everyone-else/#commentsMon, 18 Apr 2011 19:24:17 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=207533He'll soon be the next Kevin Bacon.

]]>James Franco is hooking up his film professor. He’s agreed to produce and star in The Stare for writer-director-Franco’s teach Jay Anania.

The film definitely sounds like something that an NYU film professor would hatch. Winona Ryder stars as a playwright who begins to lose her mind. She can’t decide whether or not she’s the star of an elaborate drama or simply going cuckoo bananas. Given that it’s Ryder, I think we all know the answer to that.

Franco will play a performer in Ryder’s production, but let’s expect him to take over writing duties once her mind fully unravels. He’ll probably volunteer to help the other actors run lines too. Dude just can’t sit in one place. (Deadline)

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/james-franco-to-work-with-winona-ryder-eventually-everyone-else/feed/2ryder-francoTim Burton Reveals (The Plot Of) His ‘Frankenweenie’http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/tim-burton-reveals-the-plot-of-his-frankenweenie/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/tim-burton-reveals-the-plot-of-his-frankenweenie/#commentsTue, 15 Feb 2011 00:59:05 +0000http://www.screenjunkies.com/?p=26888It's a stop-motion animated (good) story that Burton made up (very good) about a well-meaning boy who turns his dog into a monster.

]]>Director Tim Burton has been doing a lot of mucking with other people’s work in recent years, turning great stories like Alice In Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into weird, computer generated movie-monsters. That’s why I think the upcoming Frankenweenie is a good fit for Burton right now. It’s a stop-motion animated (good) story that Burton made up (very good) about a well-meaning boy who turns his dog into a monster. (It will hopefully be cathartic.) We’ve got the official synopsis right here:

After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

You better be-leash it, movie synopsis writer.

Anyway, Frankenweenie will be in black-and-white, which is an interesting choice for a movie that will inevitably be aimed at color-loving families. However, Burton’s not going too unconventional, as the animated movie will be screened in Mandatory-Vision (3D). I’m still officially interested, especially with a solid voice cast that includes Winona Ryder, Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara. However, we’ve got a long way until the October 2012 release date, and Burton’s doing some stuff in the Dark Shadows with his Hot Topic BFF Johnny Depp this year.

From Academy Award winning director Ron Howard comes a January movie. The Dilemmais about a dilemma that’s very real, but it’s not funny. So they fill the movie with contrived B.S. that’s also not funny.

Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) are couple friends. They’re best friends but they always hang out with their significant others too — Ronny’s wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) and Nick’s girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly). They talk about what it takes to really know someone, and they dance because you liked Kevin James dancing in Hitch.

Nick and Ronny have a car idea for GM. That’s the big job they work on in between relationship issues. I always wonder who comes up with the jobs people do in movies when they don’t actually matter. Did screenwriter Allan Loeb really think, “I really want to tell the story of electric engine designers in crisis?” Or did he say, “Let Ron Howard figure out what they do for a living.”

While scouting a location for his own proposal, Ronny catches Geneva making out with a dude we’ll later learn is Zip (Channing Tatum). Does he tell his best friend? Would it be more human to wait until all the pressure of the GM deal is over? Well, it’s a movie so any mature decision Ronny could make is off the table.

Remember when Vince Vaughn used to keep it real? No gimmicks, just breaking the tension of real relationships with comedy. To fill out two hours in The Dilemma, he has to fall into some poison plants that make his pee hurt, argue over the audience trick shot at a hockey game, and climb trees to spy on Zip.

Vaughn is out of things to riff about, so he does the speech from Miracle. Ronny makes up lies about what trouble he’s been in because he can’t tell Beth he’s planning a proposal and he can’t tell Nick what he knows. Dropping a wad of cash (intended for a ring) and keeping secrets make it look like Ronny’s gambling again. Misunderstanding circumstances is not the same as a joke.

The women give some powerhouse performances though. Geneva shows Ronny how she can turn on the tears if she has to claim Ronny made a pass at her to cover her ass. It’s pretty evil, but evil is not funny. Beth is the most amazing girlfriend ever. In the face of ridiculous behavior, she wants to be supportive and Ronny’s the ass to refuse. Queen Latifah talks about her lady wood in an embarrassing bit part, and it’s so funny that she says it twice. But Connelly and Ryder make something out of this nonsense.

There is some good drama in the resolution, but this ain’t the drama version. They had their chance to make a drama and they made the wrong choice.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/films/the-dilemma/feed/0Winona Ryder Jumps On Tim Burton’s ‘Frankenweenie’http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/winona-ryder-jumps-on-tim-burtons-frankenweenie/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/winona-ryder-jumps-on-tim-burtons-frankenweenie/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Production on Tim Burton's stop-motion Frankenweenie 3D is ramping up and he's bringing some of his besties onboard. Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Catherine O'Hara, and Martin Short have joined as four voice actors who don't command a Johnny Depp-sized salary.
It is surprising that Burton's usual players, Depp and wifey Helena Bonham Carter are not attached to the project. Perhaps they'll show up in smaller Easter Egg-ish roles. I'm sure Burton can get either to bark like a dog for the right amount of money. Or the right amount of absinthe. (Deadline)

It is surprising that Burton’s usual players, Depp and wifey Helena Bonham Carter are not attached to the project. Perhaps they’ll show up in smaller Easter Egg-ish roles. I’m sure Burton can get either to bark like a dog for the right amount of money. Or the right amount of absinthe. (Deadline)

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/winona-ryder-jumps-on-tim-burtons-frankenweenie/feed/1Vince Vaughn Is Challenged In Trailer For ‘The Dilemma’http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/vince-vaughn-is-challenged-in-trailer-for-the-dilemma/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/vince-vaughn-is-challenged-in-trailer-for-the-dilemma/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000From Academy Award-Winning Director Ron Howard comes... a movie where Vince Vaughn gets poison ivy on his schlong. And Channing Tatum probably gets worse when he puts his in Winona Ryder. Despite the Farrelly-esque setups, The Dilemma looks funny. Hate on Vince Vaughn all you want but the man flawlessly delivers the line, "Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars... are gay."
Back to schlongs, Queen Latifah mentions that she's sporting "ladywood." Cute, but I'd have called it a "HERection." I'm not an Academy Award winner though, so what do I know?
Check out the trailer after the jump...

From Academy Award-Winning Director Ron Howard comes… a movie where Vince Vaughn gets poison ivy on his schlong. And Channing Tatum probably gets worse when he puts his in Winona Ryder. Despite the Farrelly-esque setups, The Dilemma looks funny. Hate on Vince Vaughn all you want but the man flawlessly delivers the line, "Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars… are gay."

Back to schlongs, Queen Latifah mentions that she’s sporting "ladywood." Cute, but I’d have called it a "HERection." I’m not an Academy Award winner though, so what do I know?

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/vince-vaughn-is-challenged-in-trailer-for-the-dilemma/feed/2First Look at Ron Howard’s ‘The Dilemma’http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/first-look-at-ron-howards-the-dilemma/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/first-look-at-ron-howards-the-dilemma/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000USAToday has a first look at Ron Howard's new film, The Dilemma. It stars Vince Vaughn as a guy who discovers that his best friend's (Kevin James) wife (Winona Ryder) is cheating on him with Channing Tatum. Not the real Channing Tatum, but the character he plays. In case you're confused as to where this movie came from, it used to be called Cheaters.
It's great to see Ron Howard taking on a comedy again. I've grown weary of his religious projects with Tom Hanks in long, stringy hair. Hopefully The Dilemma will be more Parenthood than EdTV. I'd also like to mention that the above scene takes place at Chicago's famous hot dog joint, Weiner Circle. A more dangerous place to bring Vaughn and James I cannot think of.

USAToday has a first look at Ron Howard’s new film, The Dilemma. It stars Vince Vaughn as a guy who discovers that his best friend’s (Kevin James) wife (Winona Ryder) is cheating on him with Channing Tatum. Not the real Channing Tatum, but the character he plays. In case you’re confused as to where this movie came from, it used to be called Cheaters.

It’s great to see Ron Howard taking on a comedy again. I’ve grown weary of his religious projects with Tom Hanks in long, stringy hair. Hopefully The Dilemma will be more Parenthood than EdTV. I’d also like to mention that the above scene takes place at Chicago’s famous hot dog joint, Weiner Circle. A more dangerous place to bring Vaughn and James I cannot think of.

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/first-look-at-ron-howards-the-dilemma/feed/0Michael Keaton Says ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ Sequelhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/michael-keaton-says-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-sequel/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/michael-keaton-says-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-sequel/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000While Ghostbusters 3 is seeming less and less likely, another ghoul film from the 80's may be getting closer to a sequel. Actor Michael Keaton has expressed interest in reprising his role of Beetlejuice, the ghost with the most.When asked about the possibility, Keaton replied, "Absolutely, that's the one thing I'd love to do again." I would have guessed that the "one thing" Keaton would have chosen to revisit would have been Mr. Mom, or maybe Gung Ho. But that's just me.Considering his Beetle Juice co-star Geena Davis has already expressed interest, it's probably only a matter of time before a studio throws money at yet another 80's nostalgia project. Of course, this is provided Alec Baldwin isn't too busy with "30 Rock," and Winona Ryder isn't too busy shoplifting! Zing! That joke is just as relevant as it was nine years ago! (DeadCentral)

While Ghostbusters 3 is seeming less and less likely, another ghoul film from the 80’s may be getting closer to a sequel. Actor Michael Keaton has expressed interest in reprising his role of Beetlejuice, the ghost with the most.

When asked about the possibility, Keaton replied, "Absolutely, that’s the one thing I’d love to do again." I would have guessed that the "one thing" Keaton would have chosen to revisit would have been Mr. Mom, or maybe Gung Ho. But that’s just me.

Considering his Beetle Juice co-star Geena Davis has already expressed interest, it’s probably only a matter of time before a studio throws money at yet another 80’s nostalgia project. Of course, this is provided Alec Baldwin isn’t too busy with "30 Rock," and Winona Ryder isn’t too busy shoplifting! Zing! That joke is just as relevant as it was nine years ago! (DeadCentral)

]]>http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/michael-keaton-says-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-sequel/feed/0‘STAR TREK’ STARLET: WINONA RYDERhttp://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-starlet-winona-ryder/
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-starlet-winona-ryder/#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Okay okay, maybe the term "starlet" doesn't apply to Winona Ryder, given that she's consistently worked in the biz since 1988's Beetlejuice. But with Abrams' new movie, Winona's career is going to get a reboot, just like Star Trek itself. So it's like a reincarnated starlet. Who is Winona in Trek? In the film, Winona plays Amanda Grayson, Spock's human mom. The character has appeared four times prior to this new installment, including the "Journey to Babel" episode in the Original Series, and in the films, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. If you're the first person to name the episode of the Trek cartoon series in which Amanda appears, WE HAVE A STAR TREK T-SHIRT FOR YOU. (Just email our feedback_@_screenjunkies.com address) Fun fact: her marriage to Spock's Dad, Sarek, is widely considered to be the first Vulcan-Human interracial marriage. Space fevah!Character Quote: "Logic! Logic! I'm sick to death of logic! Do you want to know what I think about your logic?"It would only be logical of you to check out the photos of Winona after the jump:

Okay okay, maybe the term "starlet" doesn’t apply to Winona Ryder, given that she’s consistently worked in the biz since 1988’s Beetlejuice. But with Abrams’ new movie, Winona’s career is going to get a reboot, just like Star Trek itself. So it’s like a reincarnated starlet.

Who is Winona in Trek? In the film, Winona plays Amanda Grayson, Spock’s human mom. The character has appeared four times prior to this new installment, including the "Journey to Babel" episode in the Original Series, and in the films, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. If you’re the first person to name the episode of the Trek cartoon series in which Amanda appears, WE HAVE A STAR TREK T-SHIRT FOR YOU. (Just email our feedback_@_screenjunkies.com address) Fun fact: her marriage to Spock’s Dad, Sarek, is widely considered to be the first Vulcan-Human interracial marriage. Space fevah!

Character Quote: "Logic! Logic! I’m sick to death of logic! Do you want to know what I think about your logic?"

It would only be logical of you to check out the photos of Winona after the jump: